applied tips : march 2008

microsoft powerpoint
: creating a flowchart

“A picture is
worth a thousand words,” and nowhere is this truer than in Microsoft
PowerPoint. No one wants to watch a presentation that consists of only
text – which is why PowerPoint comes equipped with many different
features to help you convey information in style.

One way to convey information in a presentation is using a flowchart.
Consisting of shapes, text, and arrows, flowcharts range from giving
step by step instructions to mapping the flow of an idea.

This article will explain just about everything you need to know
about creating flowcharts, including how to plan, build, and design a
work of flowchart art!

Building blocks

To describe a process, a flowchart uses descriptive text and a
variety of shapes and connectors that illustrate the directional flow of
activity.

Each shape has a specific use. For example, there’s a shape for the
steps that begin and end a process, another shape for decision points,
and another for the main steps involved. Take a look at the graphic at
the end to familiarize yourself with the most common flowchart shapes
and what they’re used for. Keep in mind that the descriptions listed are
all relative; you don’t need to adhere to them in order to create a
successful flowchart.

Ready, set, flow!

Before you start creating your flowchart, it helps to do some
planning first. For example, you might want to sketch a rough outline of
the process on a piece of paper. Number each step as you go along to
figure out how many shapes you’re going to need.

In the Slide Layout task pane (or Slide Layout dialog box in
PowerPoint 2000), select the Blank or Title Only slide layout.

If you are using PowerPoint 2002 or 2003, select View > Grid and
Guides from the menu. In the Grid and Guides dialog box, click the
“Display grid on screen” check box and click OK. Displaying the grid
will help you align the shapes in your flowchart.

Gather your tools

Click the AutoShapes button on the Drawing toolbar and select
Flowchart from the menu. The Flowchart submenu appears. We want to
detach this submenu so that it “floats” in the middle of the
screen.

Click the Flowchart submenu’s move handle and drag it to the middle
of the screen. Tada! Now you won’t have to open the Flowchart submenu
every time you want to insert a shape.

Do the same with the Connectors submenu.

Inserting shapes

Now that the Flowchart and Connector menus are readily accessible
onscreen, it’s time to start inserting shapes.

Double-click the Terminator shape on the Flowchart menu, then click
anywhere on the slide. A terminator shape appears on the slide. Click
anywhere on the slide once more. Another Terminator shape appears. Press
the key.

Using the double-click method is a great way to add multiple shapes
that are a consistent size. Although the default shape size is rather
small, it’s very easy to resize multiple shapes while still maintaining
a consistent shape size. Simply hold down the key as you select
each shape you want to resize, then click and drag a sizing handle on
one shape to change the size of all shapes.

Inserting text

Once you’ve finished inserting shapes, it’s time to add text to them.

To add text, simply click in the shape and type. Don’t worry if the
text spills out of the shape; you can easily fix this by applying text
wrapping.

If the text still doesn’t fit inside the shape, resize the shape
accordingly or reduce the size of the text.

Aligning shapes

Although grid guides can be extremely helpful when it comes to
positioning shapes, you can also use the Drawing toolbar.

Select the object(s) you want to align or distribute. Click the Draw
button on the Drawing toolbar and select Align or Distribute > Relative
to Slide from the menu. Click the Draw button once again and select
Align or Distribute from the menu. Select an option from the menu.

Inserting connectors

To connect two shapes, double-click the type of connector you want to
use on the Connectors menu and position the mouse pointer over the first
shape. Hot points appear around the shape, indicating where you can
apply the connector.

Click the hot point that you want the connector to start from, and
then click a hot point on the second shape to connect the two shapes.

To change the length or angle of a connector, move the shape that it
is attached to. To delete a connector, select it and press .

Flowchart Colors

A flowchart inherits the color scheme of the slide it is inserted on,
but you can easily change this.

Select the shape whose fill color you want to change and click the
Fill Color button list arrow on the Drawing toolbar. Here you can select
a color from the list, select More Fill Colors to select a new color, or
select Fill Effects to apply a gradient, texture, pattern, or picture.

Common flowchart shapes

schedule a class on powerpoint

Request an on-site PowerPoint class from Applied Office. Sessions are just $125/hr and your employees will be creating amazing slideshows in no time! Learn more
here

quick reference card

Get the Quick Reference Card on Microsoft PowerPoint! Download it for free and print it on your own printer. You might even want to laminate it.